Norwegian Opening of Parliament 2020

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Crown Prince Haakon and Queen Sonja were on hand yesterday for the 165th opening of Norwegian Parliament, Prince Haakon filling in for his father who has been ill.

Queen Sonja repeated her black capulet hat with close fitting cloche crown and upturned front brim. The brim follows a slightly peaked shape with central point and is printed (or embroidered?) with diamond shapes on the undersideIt’s difficult to assess this hat without a better view but the shape of the hat, from front view, works well with Sonja’s hairstyle and regally frames her face in a sort of modern kokoshnik.



Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: Oct 9, 2017

Thoughts about this petite black hat?

Photos from social media as indicated 

Double Hat Day For Dutch Queen

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Queen Máxima celebrated to anniversaries in The Hague today with two repeated hats. To kick off the annual breast cancer month, which coincided with the the 40th anniversary of the Breast Cancer Association Netherlands, she repeated her vibrant pink straw picture hat with sharply sidesweeping ‘slice’ brim.

The choice of pink, the colour associated globally with breast cancer, was clearly not coincidental and makes a happy, vibrantly hopeful statement during a time when such things are so very needed. We’ve talked before about how well this signature shape works for Máxima and while the overall ensemble could have been more polished (a neat chignon so her hair didn’t compete with those statement earrings), it’s so good to see an old-friend hat such as this that the rest doesn’t seem to matter.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Dress by Natan.
Previously Worn: August 31, 2019; July 3, 2016; April 13, 2016; April 27, 2015

This afternoon, Queen Máxima attended the 70th jubilee celebration of the Social Economic Council. For this event, she changed into her saffron silk pleated dress and matching bandeau circle headpice

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We’ve not seen this headpiece since its debut in Japan six years ago. What to say… it allows the dress to shine? It does, and that’s a good thing. While shape and execution fall flat for me (I wish the graphic pleats of the dress translated more to the headpiece), the colour is spot on, both for the House of Orange and for a fall (in the Northern Hemisphere!) day.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Dress by Mattijs van Bergen
Previously Worn: October 29, 2014

Queen Máxima has given us several hats and headpieces over the past two weeks and two more today… well, dearest readers, I know we will all appreciate! What do you think of these two designs today in The Hague?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats to October 1, 1971 when Princess Anne donned this lime tassel-trimmed newsboy cap to present new colours to the first Battalion, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment at Battlesbury Barracks. I’m at a loss for words on this one.

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Photos from Getty as indicated

Inventory: Princess Stéphanie’s Pink Hats

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Since joining the Grand Ducal family nearly eight years ago, the Hereditary Grand Duchess has stepped out in several pink hats:

1.  2. 3.
Designer: unknown; Sylvia Martinez; Sylvia Martinez
Introduced: June 23, 2014; June 23, 2017; June 23, 2018

 4.  5. 
Designer: both are Sylvia Martinez
Introduced: June 23, 2019; October  16, 2019  

Some of you may remember back in 2016, Spanish-born, France-based milliner Sylvia Martinez participated in an exhibition attended by Prince Guillaume and Princess Stéphanie. Sylvia took the opportunity to create two custom hats for the Grand Duchess and Hereditary Grand Duchess that she presented at this meeting. Stéphanie wore the hat designed for her in May 2017 (the hat designed for the Grand Duchess is the marvelous #5), kicking off an ongoing collaboration with Sylvia  that includes four of the pieces seen above. While I do like to see royals try designs from different milliners, Sylvia’s beautifully detailed work has helped Stéphanie find her own millinery style- she really shines in those bright pink perchers, doesn’t she?

Which pink hats in Princess Stéphanie hat closet are your favourites?

Photos from  Mark Rendersvia Getty; Catholic Church of Luxembourg; Catholic Church of Luxembourg; Patrick van Katwijk and Olivier Matthys/WireImage via Getty

Monday Multiples: Queen Mathilde

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 Queen Mathilde has, so far, paired her Fabienne Delvigne designed textured woven pink calot with multi-looped side bow with two pink frocks:

Look #1: With a pink curved seam sheath dress with deeper dusty pink ultrasuede sleeves and neckline by Esmeralda Ammoun worn May 19, 2016 during a Jordanian state visit

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Look #2: With a floral printed pleated neckline midi dress with unlined floating sleeves by Giambattista Valli worn on a trip to Germany, July 10, 2019

Which dress do you prefer most with this hat?

Photos from Getty and social media as indicated